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The Riddle of the Red Rectangle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2016

Vincent Icke*
Affiliation:
Sterrewacht Leiden, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

Abstract

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I reconsider my study (Icke 1981) of the hydrodynamic mechanism that is responsible for the shape of the Red Rectangle. The density of this nebula is so high, and the central star(s) so cool, that momentum driven outflow is almost guaranteed. Focusing of a spherically symmetric stellar wind through an inner shock creates a biconical pattern that may be responsible for the characteristic X-shape of the outer nebula. I compute the evolution of periodic biconical outflow. Observations made available to me by Van Winckel can thus be modeled in great detail. Features that I initially thought to be problematic for my interpretation, such as the occurrence of intersecting shocks on the symmetry axis, turned out to be present on closer inspection of the Hα image.

Type
Part VII: Nebular Morphology and Dynamics
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2003 

References

Balick, B. 1987 AJ 94, 671 Google Scholar
Balick, B., Icke, V., & Preston, H.L. 1987 AJ 94, 1641 Google Scholar
Icke, V. 1981 ApJ 247, 152 Google Scholar
Icke, V. 1988 A&A 202, 177 Google Scholar
Icke, V. 1991 A&A 251, 369 Google Scholar